Forgotten Memories & Padded White Rooms
by InMyOwnWords
Summary: Chad's family has deserted him.Only one friend still visits.He's been locked in the Padded White Room.
1. Chapter 1

Padded White Walls...

Padded White Walls...

Padded Whi-

"Chad, you have some visitors." the nurse to me, as she opened the door to let me out.

Taylor sat at a table with a smile on her face, I couldn't believe she was actually here...Too see me of all people.

Nobody comes to see me anymore, mom said it was because she didn't want my sisters to see me here, dad said it caused emotional distress. I think they're just ashamed of their son in the Asylum.

"Chad?"

She looked at me with wide eyes. Do I look that different? I guess sixteen year olds aren't supposed to look like this. Skinny, pale...Crazy.

"Hey Taylor."

I guess I haven't talked in a while, my voice is raspy, and low. "How's life on the outside?" I ask trying to lighten the mood.

"Troy, and Gabby are still going strong, Jason, and Kelsi are on and off...Sharpay and Zeke don't know exactly what they want, and Ryan...Well..." her voice trailed off.

"Ryan what?" I asked.

"When he announced he was gay...Some guys from the basketball team...He was a victim of gay-bashing." she said with a sad expression.

"Is he...Is he okay?"

Taylor shook her head, "He's in a coma..."

I looked down at the table, then back at Taylor. "How're my parents?"

"They moved to Atlanta near your grandmother...Don't you remember?"

"They didn't tell me...They stopped coming ten months ago."

Taylor looked shocked, "They left you here?"

"I guess so."

At this point I don't care, I get out of this place in three months, and I guess I'll have to find a place to live. Sixteen is never to early to start a new life.

"Ms. Mckessie, Chad has to take his MED's." the nurse said.

Taylor nodded, and waved goodbye.

That's when I noticed, she never told me who she was dating. I didn't get the chance to ask her though, because the nurse gave me my medication literally threw me into the white room, and closed the door.

My past memories left me as the medication took over.

Padded White Walls.

Padded White Walls.

Padded White Walls.


	2. Chapter 2

"How's life?" Marrissa asked me.

Marrissa is the girl who's next door to me, she's in here for cutting herself I think...All I know is they keep her in a straight jacket, and won't let her have visitors in fear they might bring something for her to cut herself with.

"Could be better." I say playing with the mess they call food.

"Marrissa hold still." a nurse said, as she tried to feed her.

"Why don't you let me feed myself?" she asked bitterly.

"You, and eating utensils...Yeah right." the nurse said almost mockingly.

"So I here they're letting you go Chad." Marrissa said.

"Three months...If I don't..." my voice trailed off at the end.

"If you don't..." Marrissa knew what I was talking about, she had seen it happen before. She says if I just say it I can come to peace with myself...

"Have an episode." I said quietly.

"Looks like you've been taking my advice." she said with smile.

"Looks like I have." I said.

"So Chad... Can you tell me about your friends?" she asked.

She loved hearing stories about how we beat the...The...Shit. I forgot...I think it's the medication, I've been forgetting things...Simple things, like how my family left me. That memory comes back every once in a while, just so I can cry myself to sleep.

"Not right now...I'm drawing a blank on things right now." I said throwing away the paper plate.

The nurse stared at me for a minute, and turned away. She knows something.

"I'm going back to my room." I said.

Not much of a room though...

"Hello Chad." a doctor said to me.

I said nothing, not knowing weather my mind was simply projecting an image of a doctor, or if he was real. "Chad..." he persisted.

"Yes?" I finally answered.

"We're going to let you go a little earlier. You've done a good job with your taking medication, and not having anymore outbursts...I think you'll be ready to go in a few days actually."

I reached out to touch the doctor, just to make sure he was real. Just to make sure he wouldn't laugh, and disappear. Then I'd go off, and start seeing other people, talking to them, as if they were actually there... Schizophrenia.

The word 'freak' had gone through my mind when I first heard it... It was a bit hard for me to understand, me being only ten at the time.

My imaginary friend phase and over, and my parents started to worry about who I was talking to. Every single friend I had until 9th grade had been fake...Who I thought was real, was no more than a figment of my imagination.

The doctor stiffened when I touched his shoulder, but then quickly understood my need to know. I had to be sure, just one touch could tell me weather I was talking to an actual doctor...Alone with no one, but myself.

"I'm leaving?" I asked.

"Next Monday...Since we couldn't get in contact with your parents we will arrange a ride to your house."

And with that he left.

He left me to wonder how everyone will see me when I walk into school.

He left me to wonder what my parents will say when I call my grandmothers house.

The nurse quietly came in with the long needle, that was my medication...I suppose I had gotten a little excited, but not excited enough that I needed to be **heavily** medicated.

She stuck the needle in my arm, pushed me onto the cot, and left.

Left me to stare into oblivion with the dazed and confused look on my face, as I chanted quietly to myself.

Padded White Walls.

Padded White Walls.

Padded White Walls.


	3. Chapter 3

Today was the day I go home.

Home...Sounds nice huh? I took it for granted until my parents put me in this place.

The man in the car that was taking me home honked impatiently at me. It wasn't my fault I had to stop every two seconds to pull my jeans up. Thanks to this place I lost a lot of weight.

"Bout time." the driver grunted.

"Sorry." was all I could really say.

I was on my home, my old neighborhood...Maybe I could surprise Troy, or Taylor...

As I sat in the back of the car I thought about what I'd be facing: No parents, no sisters, and last but not least no illusions. I guess that was the only upside.

"We're here." the driver said snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Thanks." I said grabbing my bag, and hopping out of the van.

I walked up the front steps, and stopped at the mat. "Please, be here." I said searching for the key under the mat.

I found the key after searching for a couple of minutes, and opened the front door. When I walked in everything was still the same, they left everything. I walked upstairs, and saw that the door to my room was closed, and there was a lock on it.

I can only imagine what possessed my parents to do that...

_"Kevin do it! I don't want to look in there, and remember my son is in a mental hospital!" _

_"You can't just pretend he didn't exist."_

_"Yes we can! As far as I'm concerned we never had a son!"_

_"Renee stop it! We can't forget about him!"_

_"Yes...We...Can."_

It's always nice to know your parents wanted to forget about you. I looked around for a key, and of course it was on top of the door. I unlocked the door and went in my room, dust was everywhere! I'll check out my room later...I went downstairs and looked at the phone. "Maybe Troy's home."

I picked up the phone and tried to remember Troy's number, "Damn."

Good thing we have a rollodex (I think...). I found Troy's number and dialed it. Ring...Ring...Ri- "House of Basketballs, Troy Bolton speaking." Troy snickered.

"Troy! What did I tell you!" Mr. Bolton yelled.

"Sorry dad! Bolton residence, Troy Bolton speaking."

"Troy, it's Chad." I said.

There was a long silence, "I won't get mad at you, just tell me who you are, and why you would pretend to be somebody you're not." Troy said.

"No really Troy, it's me. I got out of the asylum today."

"If I ever hear you've been calling my other friends prentending to be Chad, I'll kill you." BANG!

He hung up...


	4. Chapter 4

I sighed and looked at the clock on the wall, it read 1:00...I guess I could go over there and tell Troy it really was me. But first I need a belt, maybe I can buy smaller jeans until I gain more weight.

After making sure I didn't look like hell, I put the house key in my pocket and walked out of the house ready to see my bestfriend. Actually I don't know if we're still bestfriends, because he never came to visit, I guess I'll find out the hard way.

I don't know how, but I remembered the way to Troy's house: Through my backyard, past Mr. Williams pitbull Snuggles, then three blocks down is Troy's house. Wait, what if they moved!? Then why would they have to same number? Duh Chad!

As I walked up to the large, white house with the basketball goal on the garage I froze. Can I do this? Will they accept me after being in an insane Asylum? Only one way to find out...I guess I'm gonna find out a lot of things today.

I knocked on the door and waited. I heard footsteps, then a, "Coming!" and someone open the door. Mr. Bolton stood there, his eyes wide with shock.

"Chad?"

"Hey Coach, still got a spot on the team for me?" I asked jokingly.

"That really was you on the phone wasn't it?" he asked.

I nodded and smiled.

"Come on in, Troy's in his room with Zeke, and Jason." he said.

I stepped inside and looked aorund, nothing had changed really. "Troy!"

That's when I saw my bestfriend run down the stairs, he stared at me with wide eyes. "Chad?"

"In the flesh."

"Was that you on the phone?" he asked.

"Yeah." I replied quietly.

"I'm sorry for hanging up...It's just that someone has been calling our house claiming to be you, and I got fed up with it."

"It's okay man, plus I love having haters."

Troy laughed, "Come on man, Zeke and Jason will probably have a heart attack when they see you."

I laughed and followed Troy upstairs to his room where I saw Zeke and Jason playing with some cards on the floor. "Heya puddin'." I said as I walked through the door.

That's my favorite line from Johnny Knoxville's character in...In...Shit I forgot again!

Zeke and Jason looked as if they'd seen a ghost. "Chad?" Zeke said.

"The one and only."

Zeke jumped up and hugged me, "Zeke I don't think he can breathe!" I heard Jason yell.

"I'm gonna have to bake you a cake...Look how small you've gotten! I think you need cupcakes lots and lots..."

"You sound like my mother Zeke." Jason said.

"Sorry! I guess Sharpay rubbed off on me." he said sheepishly.

"Shutup Zeke!" we all yelled.

"Jeez you sound like my mother." Jason said.

"Sorry." Zeke muttered as he sat bakc on the floor.

"Zeke is our team cook." Troy said with a laugh.

"Zeke and stove don't mix." I said.

"Actually he's pretty good." Jason said.

Whenever you leave for a long time and come back surprises just hit you in the face...Like your friend who can bake a cake!


	5. Chapter 5

I hung out at Troy's house for a while longer and decided it was time for me to go. Coach Bolton stopped me before I walked out, "Chad, I know your parents are gone and if you ever need anything don't hesitate to call." he said with a smile.

"Don't worry Coach, I cna handle myself." I said with a smile.

"Take care."

"I will."

I walked out of the house and went to my own, I decided now would be the time to go through my room. As I walked in I sneezed, there was so much dust it was disgusting. I went through my closet, and then my desk and found a note on it. I blew it off and tried to read it.

_Dear Chad,_

_We're leaving today, not because we don't love you but because we won't be able to handle it when you come back. Your mother's words not mine. You know where your grandmother lives, and you also know her number so don't hesitate to call or come down. I left you money that's been saved up for you, and I also left you enough money to get a on-way ticket to Atlanta. Your mother will come around eventually, your sisters already miss you and we haven't even left the house yet. Just remember there's a home for you if you don't want to stay there._

_ Love,_

_ David Danforth (Your dad)_

Well dad I know who you are.

Anyway...He wants me to come to Atlanta.

That's new.

Because I clearly remember the day they dropped me off at the hospital.

_"Chad you're a disgrace." my father said shaking his head._

_"I'm sorry dad...I don't wanna be like this..." I said._

_My mother stayed silent, but I could see her shaking her head as she held my youngest sister. "No one in my family...No one...And you...Where..." he just couldn't seem to get whatever he wanted to say out._

_"I said I was sorry."_

_"Sorry isn't enough. Do you know how much this is costing us?" He asked._

_I didn't reply._

_He jsut shook his head and walked to the car._

They visited me, and my father got nicer as time went by. I guess he figured that since they were moving he wouldn't have to deal with me anymore. He's hoping that I don't come back, that I'm too mad at them to go to Atlanta. He's trying to turn me against my mother also, I don't know what he's getting from it though. I just wish he could've accpeted me.

I wish he could've been more supportive.

More helpful.

As soon as he found out I had a mental disorder he treated me as if I was trash, dirt, anything but his son.

He didn't even claim me.

I used to imagine him, I used to imagine him as a good father.

Maybe thats why he hated me so much, because my illusions were a better father than he'd ever be.


End file.
